Watch Out: 4 Tips to Protect Your Brand Name in the Web

Image Credit: ttcwetranslate.com

Today, a registration of a website is as easy as a pie. There are a plenty of different websites, which were created with commercial purposes. They are Internet shops, marketing agencies, auctions, etc.

Evidently, modern generation could not imagine incarnating of any business idea without register a website. It is the most effective way to present your business to target audience and make your brand recognizable fast.

However, promoting the brand in the Internet has specific pitfalls. They are not too hard to overcome, but could turn into hours of headache, finding ways to solve the problem and even litigations.

So, to avoid such unpleasant moments in your life, just make use of following tips and ascertain you did everything to prevent the possible brand name battle.


Prei monituse, prei minituse (Forewarned is forearmed)

Someone could say that creativity is the key for building an excellent and unique brand. I say, it is not. Creativity is a great helper, but that’s it.

Scrupulosity is the quality you need. To protect your brand name you have to consider all probable options and always keep trimming the sails to the wind.

Thinking about your business, likely, you came up with a lot of brand name ideas. Or, maybe, you have only one, which you think is perfect. In any case, write it down and start the thorough analysis.

1) Brand bases examination

Good news first: you could do your research sitting in the cozy chair and continuing surfing the Internet. You just need to open some more browser tabs.

Start with Google. Request “brand bases” will show you many sites which provide their users with the lists of existing brands, sorted by alphabet or geographically, by the time of registration, etc. Just choose the most comfort tool for you, and start looking for a brand name similar to your idea.

If you’ve found it, leave your hopes and choose another appropriate, and what is more important — unique — name.

“But I like it so much”, you’ll say. Clearly, you do. And I understand, the desire to keep the name could be very strong. Well, obviously, I can’t deal with it.

But don’t expect you will succeed then.

Most likely, other brand, which sound like yours and is known for a longer time than yours, decided to register a domain name and soon his brand will lap you over.

On the other hand, if you will succeed, the effects could be even more painful. The owner of similar brand name, which was registered earlier, could lay a claim on the website name. And this dispute could easily ends in the court.

So, choose absolutely new and fresh brand name for your business as it is much safer and will not cause problems in future.

Image Credit: cmo.com.au
Image Credit: cmo.com.au

2) Domains exploration

After making sure your name is fresh, start looking for domain. There are many such services in the Internet too. One of the most popular is GoDaddy.com. But you could try any of them, as they show equal results.

It is a huge luck if you will find domain name just like your brand name. The full match of the brand name and domain name adds company authority. Moreover, it makes searching your brand on the Internet as simple as possible, as customers have not to remember different names.

If the name you were going to register is already in use, look for others, similar variants. But be very careful, choosing a domain name, which are differ from your brand name.

First of all, avoid abbreviation and long phrases as well as hyphens. Such elements could mislead your customers, they increase the chances that people who are trying to find your company on the web will make mistakes in your name and land on another site.

Therewith, you could get into an opposite situation. If your domain name is too complicated or long, other people could take advantage of this, naming their site very similar to yours and get your traffic, which comes from customers who make a typo in your domain name.

Pay attention to domains zones. For example, zone .com is more trustful for Google than zone .net. Although, you have to register domain in zone .com only if you’ve registered a trademark.

Image Credit: gx5.co.uk
Image Credit: gx5.co.uk

3) Trademarks inspection

This step is extremely important, as if you have chosen unique brand, taken free domain, but then find out that there is a registered trademark like your brand or domain, prepare to throw in the towel and give up all your development, cause nothing helps.

A trademark owner has a dominant right to use website URL like his or her trademark.

So, visit Trademark electronic search service (TESS) in advance and make certain nobody has registered trademark which repeats your brand name.

And do it yourself right off the bat.

Now, you have all the rights to use domain just like your trademark, and even could ask such domain keeper to give it to you, as you have the right to use it according to the law.

You have made one of the most reasonable decisions in your life. Be proud of yourself.

Image Credit: careintellect.com
Image Credit: careintellect.com

4) The simpler, the better

Did you hear the expression: everything genius is simple? It works for brand protection too.

If you want to be sure nothing bad happens with your company name, your website name is protected from cybersquatters, then follow simple rules.

The website/brand name should not be longer than 12-14 words. It should not include words, which could be misspelled or have different variants of pronunciation.

Avoid letter or word adjacency which could be read improperly.

Your brand name needs to be clear and simple.

If you would like your brand name expresses your company’s practice follow the good examples. For instance, FaceBook, General Motors are accurate names. We understand  which companies hide behind these names as well as we couldn’t mistype them as the words are well-known.

Definitely, you are permitted to experiment and appeal to customers emotions and imaginations. It works too. Again, inspect successful brands. There are interesting and associative brand names like Caterpillar or Twitter. They are funny and offbeat, but still memorable and associate with company’s occupation.

Image Credit: referralcoach.com
Image Credit: referralcoach.com

Dream big, act sanely

Everyone who starts business are expecting for huge success and plenty of customers. And it is completely right thoughts. Those will succeed who dream big.

But there always must be a place for common sense and reassurance. As even such giants like Google sometimes need to prove their exclusive rights for brand name and fight with dishonesty and fraudulence.

Google will withstand. And you?


This article was contributed by Jonathan Bramson.

Jonathan Bramson is a freelance copywriter, essay writer at pay4homework.com. He aims to provide useful content for those, who are interested in self-improvement.


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